North Star
by Shortass12
Summary: Penny Lambert was just looking for a new start when her family moved to Forks, but then she meets Seth Clearwater and she's surprised to find salvation in such a seemingly perfect guy. But Penny can't help but feel that Seth's hiding something from her...
1. Silver Linings

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight Saga, or any of its original characters.

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Penny Lambert was just looking for a new start when her family moves to the small town of Forks, but then she meets Seth Clearwater and the strange connection that blossoms between them is undeniable. Surprised to find salvation in such a seemingly perfect guy, Penny can't help the feeling that Seth is hiding something important from her. But the closer she gets to uncovering his secrets, the further Penny is unknowingly thrown in the path of danger... Seth/OC.

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><p><strong>North Star<strong>

**1: Silver Linings**

With a reluctant sigh, I pushed open the door to my new bedroom and inspected my surroundings. It was slightly smaller than my room back in San Diego, with a lone window opposite my dresser that offered a view of the forest that lined our backyard and a dozen or so marks on the wallpaper where the previous occupant had placed posters. It was sort of strange to see all of my furniture and things in such an unfamiliar room; however I knew I would have to get used to the sight sooner rather than later.

Since we had arrived in Forks early this morning I'd been on autopilot as I carried box after box up the creaky staircase, and now I couldn't help but feel relief wash over me as I gracelessly dropped the last one down on my bed. The majority of my stuff was unpacked and had been temporarily placed where I deemed suitable so, for now at least, I had nothing more to do.

The easy part of moving house was over and done with, and now I was faced with the harsh reality of being a few hundred miles away from the only home I'd ever known. But still, this was for the best. It just had to be.

"Are you all done in here then, Penny?"

I looked up to find my mom leaning against the doorway, gazing at me with that distant look she'd adopted when we first heard the news a few months ago. I automatically turned away from her – glad to avoid eye contact.

"Pretty much," I eventually replied.

"That was quick," she commented, playing idly with a stand of her shoulder-length hair. "Your father and the movers have almost finished the lounge, too."

I shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. "That's good."

"You've got a nice view from your window - it's too bad that the weather's terrible at the moment,"

If I hadn't actually witnessed the gradual deterioration of my family, I probably would've had a stroke upon finding that Mom and I had resorted to discussing the weather. We'd been so close when I was growing up.

"I thought that the weather was always shit in Washington?"

"Mind your language," Mom snapped, and in response I couldn't help but flinch.

I muttered an apology under my breath, pretending to rearrange a few paperbacks on my pine bookshelf. Without another word, Mom shut the door behind her and a minute later I heard her disappear back downstairs.

My hand lingered on a copy of East of Eden, which my older brother, Adam, had given me as a present last summer. I closed my eyes and let out an uneven breath, desperate to keep the promise I'd made to myself. This was a new start for our family and I was determined to make the best of it – even if it meant ignoring the painful reason we were even here.

I forced myself to look away from the stack of books, hoping that somehow there'd be a silver lining on at least one of the clouds that hung in the grey sky above the forest. But, of course, there wasn't.

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><p>Monday swung around quickly, and school was a much needed distraction from the tension that seemed to hang between my parents and I. The drive across town to Forks High School didn't take long and before I knew it I was walking into my first home room here, a pile of documents in hand for Mom to fill out when I got home at the end of the day.<p>

The majority of the students turned towards me – as they had in the parking lot and in the corridors – and I pretended not to notice. Mr Lewis welcomed me over to his desk at the front of the class with a wide grin.

"You must be Penelope Lambert," he said, "why don't you take a seat at the back while I take attendance?"

"It's just Penny," I corrected him nervously.

Mr Lewis nodded and turned his attention back to the ancient computer that sat on his desk.

I glanced at the back row, where there was only one spare seat next to a dark-haired girl. She looked up at me and smiled so I tried not to seem too hesitant as I manoeuvred my way towards her.

"Hey there," the girl chirped as I sat down. "Your family just moved to town, right?"

"Well, sort of. My mom actually grew up here," I told her.

She nodded and said, "Oh, sweet! I'm Kate, by the way."

"My name's Penny,"

Kate smiled at me again, and then informed me that I was officially under her wing. I couldn't help but laugh, which admittedly felt good for the first time in a while, and eventually we settled into comfortable, trivial chatter.

The prospect of starting a new school three weeks into the new school year no longer seemed as daunting, considering Kate happened to have a few classes with me throughout the next week and didn't ask too many questions about why my family had moved north from California. By the end of home room she'd even saved my number into her BlackBerry.

I braced myself for the rest of the school day as the bell finished ringing, trailing after my new peers as we headed towards second period. I hugged my jacket tighter around my torso, the cold wind biting into me as I crossed the quad to the science block. The school map I'd been given at reception was remarkably easy to navigate.

People continued to look as I passed them, apparently sizing me up to see if I was worth their time or if I was simply a novelty. More than once I was sure that a couple of older kids had dismissed me as the latter, but I tried not to let their apathy get to me. Sure, I'd been reasonably popular back home; however new students were always either a total fascination or disregarded in any school.

As the morning went by and lunch loomed, I was left to wonder which category I would inevitably fall into.

Eventually Kate's group of friends pulled me out of my thoughts, each of them asking question after question as we sat together in the far side of the cafeteria. They had all briefly introduced themselves when I had sat down next to them and I was trying my best to remember all five of their names.

"Did you have a boyfriend back in San Diego?" A girl called Carmen asked me through a mouthful of fat-free potato chips. She was like an exact clone of the image-conscious girls I'd seen back home, with tanned skin and an impeccably straight yet deceptive smile.

I laughed nervously and said, "No, not really. I didn't date much." I hadn't even kissed a boy since eighth grade, but Kate and her friends weren't going to find that out right off the bat.

"That's probably a good thing," she continued. "I've heard that Californian boys are all jerks!"

"Are guys all you can talk about?" Kate sighed.

Carmen gave her a contemptuous look and simply laughed when Kate looked away, easily managing to monopolize the conversation once more without any further interruptions.

Not seeing the point in arguing that not _all_ of the boys I'd known had been pricks, I allowed Carmen to continue babbling and turned my attention to the meagre lunch that I'd scrounged from our empty kitchen cabinets. I'd been too worried that I wouldn't like the food at Forks High School to even consider not bringing something to snack on so I was left with the choice of a lunchmeat sandwich I'd hurriedly made this morning, or whatever three dollars could buy me at the canteen.

Kate smiled at me reassuringly across the table; the proceeded to break off half of her tortilla wrap and offer it to me. I took it hesitantly, secretly hoping that it didn't contain mayonnaise, and settled back into being the topic of inquisition.

To be honest I sort of enjoyed the attention and, as long as they didn't stray to the subject of my family or why we relocated, I was more than happy to pretend I was just like any other new girl. It was a lot more enjoyable than the reality of having a dead brother.

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><p>AN: Well, there's the first chapter! I realize that it's considerably short, although this is just supposed to give a brief introduction to the story, and I promise that it will get much better. I love the Quileute wolves and there's not a lot of fan fiction about them any more, so I thought that they deserved a story. Also, keep in mind that this is set about six years after Bella first arrives in Washington. I'd really appreciate some feedback, e.g. whether or not to continue and what you think so far! So... what's the verdict, guys?


	2. Lack of Sunshine

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight Saga, or any of its original characters.

A/N: I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who's already reviewed and alerted this story! It means so much to me :) Here's the next chapter for you all, I hope you like it - and I hope you _really_ like my rendition of the one and only Seth Clearwater, too. Please don't forget to give me some more feedback after you've read this!

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><p><strong>2: Lack of Sunshine <strong>

"What about this one?" Kate asked hopefully, holding up a slinky blue dress that was a little too revealing for a birthday dinner.

I shook my head and said, "It's an Italian restaurant – not a seedy nightclub, Kate."

In response she pulled a face at me and carelessly flung the dress back in her overflowing closet. Over the past few weeks Kate and I had become what I could only believe resembled close friends, and now we were even helping each other pick out clothes. It was the sort of friendship I'd missed since leaving everyone I had ever known behind in San Diego.

"You've got to pick something. Are you sure there's nothing back at your house?"

"Absolutely nothing," I told her, and sighed.

We had been looking through clothes for the best part of an hour and my legs were beginning to ache from sitting cross legged on her bed for so damn long. Kate turned to me, flinging her arms up to emphasize the hopelessness of the situation. I could tell from the expression on her face that her usually upbeat mood was quickly waning.

It was fair to say that most of the girls I'd befriended at Forks High School had been looking forward to Carmen Arana's birthday meal all week, considering it was an excuse to get all dressed up. Carmen wouldn't settle for anyone arriving at her birthday dinner in jeans either so I knew that if Kate didn't help me find something - and fast - then I would most likely find myself uninvited upon arrival.

"I hate you," Kate stated, and collapsed next to me on her bed. "Why are you so picky?"

"I can't help the fact that I have a refined taste!"

"Well, I need to start getting ready soon. Penny, please just pick a damn dress," she said, glaring at me.

A couple of minutes later Kate disappeared to take a shower and I was left with the hard task of making a decision. I forced myself off of her bed and made my way over to the large built-in wardrobe that lined one wall of Kate's bedroom. After rifling through a few of the dresses she'd already shown me in vain, I decided to wear the next one I picked up and all of a sudden there was a lacy white dress in my hands.

I looked the dress up and down, trying to determine whether or not it would actually fit me. Giving in, I pulled my blouse above my head and attempted to put the billowy thing on.

"That looks great on you," Kate said from behind me ten minutes later. "You should have just chosen that dress in the first place!"

She grabbed her own outfit - which she'd probably chosen days ago - and headed back to her en suite bathroom to get changed. Eventually we were ready to leave for Port Angeles, and to avoid being any later we headed out in Kate's car at a speed that was probably way over the limit.

An hour later we finally ran through the doors of a tiny place called Bella Italia and rushed over to the first waitress we saw, hoping that she'd be able to tell us where the Arana party were sitting. Kate had sworn under her breath for the majority of the car journey, stating about a dozen times that Carmen was going to skin us alive for being more than half an hour later.

"Just over there," the waitress told us, gesturing towards three tables that had been pushed together. I recognized most of the people from school, although there were a handful of people I was pretty sure I didn't know at all. Carmen, of course, was sat in the centre of the group. Unfortunately she saw us making our way across the restaurant, and all of sudden her pretty round face darkened.

"I can't actually believe you two are _this_ late," she muttered as we reached the party.

"We're so sorry," Kate said, enveloping her in a quick hug. "We had some issues with clothes and then there was traffic-"

Carmen cut her off, pointing to the two free seats that were left. "Save the excuses and order."

Kate took the seat nearest to Carmen, and I was relatively glad as I knew that it was because she didn't mind bearing the brunt of the Birthday Girl's ruined mood. It was then that I realized the only vacant seat available was on the end of the third table, next to a Native American guy that I had never met before. Far away from anyone I felt remotely comfortable talking to.

"Happy birthday, Carmen," I offered sheepishly as I sat down next to the guy.

She flashed me one of her cruel smiles and turned back to two other sophomores, Louise Armstrong and Megan Whicher, who were in an animated conversation about some cute guy who worked at the bowling alley back in Forks.

The waitress came back to offer Kate and I menus, as the others had already finished their starters and were waiting for an assortment of main courses that had probably been ordered before we even made it onto the highway. I glanced at the guy sat next to me, noting that he had the nicest bone structure I'd ever seen, and couldn't help but wonder how Carmen knew him.

Before I could look away, the guy turned towards me and smiled. It suddenly made his face appear much younger, and I blushed furiously because I realized too late that I'd probably been staring at him. He was most likely finding the obvious attention hilarious.

I turned back to the menu in front of me, scanning through numerous dishes that I probably wouldn't have the guts to stomach or even try.

"Try the salmon pasta - it's delicious," said a deep voice near my ear, and I almost jumped straight out of my seat to find that the Indian guy was still smiling at me. "My sister used to work here, so trust me."

"I'm a picky eater," I told him lamely.

"And I'm Seth. It's nice to meet you, A Picky Eater," his smile widened into a grin.

I blushed again. "No, I meant... I don't... my name's Penny."

He laughed loudly, attracting a few glances from the other end of the table. Seth said, "I was only messing around, Penny."

For what seemed like an eternity I tried to avoid meeting his gaze and eventually the waitress came back, bringing the first of the main courses for Carmen, Louise and a boy from school called Derek. She then took Kate's order before turning to me, pen and paper at the ready to jot down my choice.

"I think I'll have the salmon pasta," I told her, and handed her back the menu.

Seth seemed very pleased that I had taken his advice, and folded his muscled arms across his chest as if to highlight the small victory. The action caused him to lightly brush my shoulder and - even though it was the smallest of touches - goose bumps appeared on the freckled skin of my arm. Why was I so damn flustered all of a sudden?

"Could you pass the pepper, Seth?" Carmen called across the table and her flirtatious drawl was unmistakable.

"Anything for the birthday girl," he replied, and handed her the small grinder.

Once again I wondered how they knew each other, considering Seth looked as though he'd finished high school already. Had they dated in the past? Did they grow up on the same street?

"So, Penny, how do you know Carmen?"

I turned to him and frowned. I said, "I moved to Forks about a month ago and we met at school. How do you know her?"

"She dated a friend of mine a while ago and we still get on pretty well, even though they've broken up now,"

Well, judging by the flutter of Carmen's eye lashes every time she glanced our way, they seemed to get along _very_ well.

The waitress came back once again and handed the rest of us our food. Seth grinned as he watched her place the salmon pasta in front of me, and I noticed that he had ordered two whole pizzas for himself.

"How can you eat that much?" Louise exclaimed when she realized that both plates were his.

"It's a secret," he laughed, and dug into the monstrous amount of food.

I tried to ignore my sporadic aversion to seafood as I tried the pasta and was half-surprised to find that it was, in fact, delicious.

Seth grinned at me again and said, through a mouthful of pepperoni and cheese, "Do you want my advice on the dessert menu, too?"

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><p>After finishing up our food and paying, Carmen suggested that we catch a late movie at the local theatre. Worried that my parents would freak out if I was home any later than ten o'clock, I declined the offer before realizing that Kate was my ride home.<p>

"Oh, shit," I said under my breath as they started off down the street. "Kate! Wait up!"

She spun around; furrowed her brow, and then obviously caught on because her expression changed instantly. Kate said, "Are you sure you can't stay for a movie? It's got Aston Kutcher in it!"

"My parents wouldn't be cool with it, Kate..." I told her, my tone verging on desperate. Ever since Adam's funeral, Mom had become a total wreck if I pretty much blinked without her permission.

"Can't you lend her your car?" Carmen asked.

Kate seemed to toss around the idea for a moment or two, and then replied, "I can't. I'm sorry; Penny, but I need it for work tomorrow morning."

"I'll drive you home," Seth said suddenly, surprisingly pretty much all of us. "If that's cool?"

The idea was instantly approved by the others, Kate even stating that he was a lifesaver because she'd wanted to watch New Year's Eve since the trailer had come out. I was a little less outwardly ecstatic, considering Kate had promised a few days ago that she'd drive and therefore I wouldn't have to take my car, although the idea of a long car journey with Seth was a more than slightly attractive proposal.

Seth said his goodbyes to Carmen (which consisted of a few whispers and a quick, tight hug) and the others, and then beckoned for me to follow him down the street. I waved to Kate once more and then reluctantly headed after him, finding it hard to match his long strides. Despite the cold breeze that was coming from the marina, Seth only wore a t-shirt and didn't seem to mind the horrific weather at all.

Part of me wished that I'd brought a thicker coat with me; however Kate had said that my heavy-duty Parker wouldn't have complimented the white dress I was wearing. I cursed her mentally for encouraging me to choose style over practicality.

"I'm parked just down the block from the restaurant," Seth told me, glancing back to see if I was still following. "Are you cold?"

I nodded sheepishly and said, "I'm still not used to the lack of sunshine here,"

"I think I have a blanket somewhere. I'll have a look when we get to the parking lot, OK?"

"That'd be great,"

Seth shot me a small smile. "So where did you move from?"

"San Diego - the most beautiful place on this earth," I replied a little bit too quickly.

"I'll bet I could show you places that'd make you take that back,"

I didn't reply, instead turning away to hide the flush that was rising on my cheeks. What the hell was with this guy and his ability to make me feel even more like a fish out of water than I already did?

It didn't take us long to reach his pick-up truck and I stood there, shivering in all my glory, while Seth rooted through the bed of the Vauxhall. A minute later he handed me a woolen blanket, informing that it was handmade by a friend who ran craft classes at the school on his reservation.

"I think I'd like to do this again sometime, Penny,"

"What do you mean?" I asked as Seth started the engine.

"You, me and a nice dinner. Isn't it obvious that I'm asking you on a date?"

I glanced sideways at him and suppressed a smile that would probably have broken my jaw. "You've known me a few hours, Seth, and you're already asking me out?"

"You can't play that card," he said, "considering we've met once and you still trust me enough to drive you home."

Turning my attention to the view out of the windscreen, I racked my brain for a reason why I should say no and came up blank. _Why are you even looking for a reason to reject him_? A voice asked somewhere in the back of my mind, and I couldn't help but sigh into the soft wool of the blanket.

"So is that a yes, or am I going to go home broken-hearted?"

With a smile, I knew I'd already made my decision the moment I'd sat down next to him at Bella Italia. And, besides the obvious physical appeal, my parents hadn't raised me to inflict unnecessary pain on really nice guys.


	3. Butterflies

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight Saga, or any original characters.

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><p><strong>3: Butterflies<strong>

"I'm not sure I approve," Mom said the following Sunday at breakfast. "How old even is this boy, Penny?"

"He's only twenty," I told her hesitantly. If the horrific trust issues between us didn't do the job, then I was pretty sure that the fact that Seth was four years my senior would put my parents off the idea of their only daughter actually going on a date.

Dad glanced at us from the top of his broadsheet, seemed to debate whether it was worth inputting into the conversation, and immediately went back to the article he'd been studiously reading. I was thankful that - for now, at least - he was staying out of it.

"So this boy is twenty and he wants to date a sixteen-year-old," she said slowly.

As she trailed off, I tried to pretend that the bowl of Lucky Charms in front of me was the most interesting thing in the world. Mom had left the question unsaid yet hanging because she knew that I wouldn't be able to answer it. I didn't even really see why Seth was interested in me; however I was more than happy to bask in the fact that - for the first time in my life - a gorgeous guy was actually interested in me.

Even with the artful use of undermining comments, my mother couldn't change that.

"He's a nice guy, Mom. And it's only a date so please don't act like this is the end of the world,"

Mom pursed her lips. "I never said that he wasn't nice, Penny. He could be a perfect gentlemen, but it's still... it's just a little weird."

I put down my spoon and got up from the table, furious that her seeds of doubt were slowly but surely planting themselves in my mind. I went silently upstairs to my bedroom without bothering to continue the argument.

The sky outside my window was grey and cloudy, holding the promise of an early snowfall sometime before Thanksgiving. I pulled down my blinds to hide the view and sat down at my desk, wondering how normal families reacted when they found out their daughter was going on an actual date. I was left more annoyed than ever as I tried to comprehend why I'd drawn the short stick when it came to relatives.

For a while I tried to focus on finishing up an essay that was due by Tuesday morning, however my imagination was running wild and I found it hard to write much about the civil war. Eventually I switched off my laptop and decided to take a long shower, hoping that the luxury of elongation would pass some of the time before Seth came to pick me up for lunch.

Several times in the past two days I'd been tempted to call Kate or anyone who might know anything about Seth, just so that I could reassure myself that he was as charming as he seemed. Perhaps if he wasn't then his true colours would gradually begin to show this afternoon.

_Calm down, Penny!_ A small voice said in the back of my mind._ You're making such a big deal out of nothing. It's just one date_.

I tried in vain to listen - I really did.

At around noon Seth's pick-up truck stopped outside my house. Panicking, I tied my wet hair into a messy bun and headed downstairs before either of my parents could get to the front door.

"You're early," I told him as I stepped onto the porch.

"Is that a bad thing?" He called as he got out of the driver's seat.

Seth came around the car to lean against its bonnet, looking up at me with the same boyish smile that had won me over on Friday evening. Why did he have to be so damn cute?

"Well," I began, "I didn't really get a chance to dry my hair."

"Please tell your hair that I'm truly sorry,"

I heard footsteps behind me and, swearing under my breath, I realized too late that I hadn't shut the door behind me. Dad appeared in the doorway and seemed to carefully take in the grinning six and half feet that was Seth.

Dad cleared his throat and turned to me. "You left this in the kitchen, Penny."

In his outstretched palm was my phone and I shivered a little, knowing how hurtful the possibility that I might have left it at home could have been towards him and Mom. After all, it was what Adam had done that night.

"Make sure he has you home before dark," Dad added.

After handing me my cell phone, Dad nodded at Seth and went back indoors. I found myself letting out a deep, exaggerated breath and then I was strolling towards my date as confidently as possible.

"Your dad seems pretty cool," Seth said conversationally as I got into the passenger seat. I couldn't help noting that his truck smelled distinctly of pine, sea air and something like wet dog. "He's not gonna come back out in a minute with a shotgun, is he?"

I laughed and said, "Probably not."

Seth offered me a nervous chuckle and proceeded to peel away from the curb without any reluctance. I was pretty sure that if I'd bothered to check in the rear-view mirror, I would've seen my mom watching us from the lounge window with binoculars.

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><p>We stopped at a seemingly empty diner between Forks and the nearby reservation where he lived. Seth pulled into the deserted parking lot and frowned, causing small lines to form at the corners of his dark eyes. I followed the direction of his gaze and saw that there weren't even any lights on inside the belly of the building.<p>

"It's usually quite busy here," he stated, and then shrugged underneath the taut seatbelt. "It doesn't even look open today."

"Maybe the owners are at church or something?"

He said, "They're probably just out of town. There's a small restaurant in La Push, if you want to head there instead?"

I nodded and Seth drove.

I wasn't sure whether it was because this was my first real date, or if it was the fact that Seth had suddenly become extremely distant and quiet, but I found myself chewing on my bottom lip. It was a nervous habit that I'd done relentlessly until around the time I started middle school.

By the time we pulled up outside a small parade of stores in a place called La Push, Seth and I had been in the car for another twenty minutes and the conversation had been scarce. The parade was opposite a gravel parking lot by the seafront, and consisted mainly of a few closed storefronts, a lone café and a tackle shop. The peeling paint wasn't exactly attractive but, then again, everyone knew reservations weren't exactly extravagant.

It took me a moment to wonder why we hadn't parked on the gravel lot with the handful of other rusting cars and I came to the realization that the "small restaurant" he'd been referring to was most likely Littlesea's Lunch Bar, the pocket-sized café a few yards away. I was suddenly a little less excited but tried not to show it. I really didn't want to come across as a brat.

"They're fixing some potholes just past the boat yard," Seth said. "You don't mind walking, do you?"

"Not at all," I replied, more than a little relieved.

"If you want you can even choose your own food this time," he added, and I couldn't help but laugh.

We got out of the truck and I slammed the passenger's door a little too heavily, causing the entire cab to shudder. Seth peered over at me from the other side of the vehicle with wide eyes, as if I'd just done something unimaginably terrible.

"Please don't kill Bertha," he told me, grimacing. "She's taken a hell of a beating over the years from most of my friends and family."

He named his car _Bertha_? "I'm sorry... I didn't think... I really didn't intend on abusing her."

Seth grinned at me widely and pivoted around the bonnet so that there were only a few inches between us. I might have imagined it; however it felt like there was a solid wall of heat emanating from his body, almost physically pushing me against Bertha's metal door.

"You splutter a hell of a lot - it's incredibly cute," he said.

"I do not! You just catch me off guard,"

My intake of breath was sharp as Seth moved even closer to me and I was engulfed inside the wall of heat. He slung his arm casually on the roof of the pick-up truck, closing the distance between us. Despite the fact that I'd known him less than a week, the strange intensity in his dark eyes didn't feel totally unsuitable.

It was safe to say that my stomach was in knots.

"Should I apologize?" Seth asked, and raised an eyebrow.

"I hope you realize that you're catching me off guard right now," I told him.

"And amazingly you're not spluttering,"

I felt my expression contort into a scowl and I ducked underneath his arm, heading off in what I could only guess was the direction of the aforementioned restaurant.

This wasn't third grade, and I was so not going to stand there and let him tease me till I was a humiliated and hormonal mess on the asphalt. I mean, he was four years older than me, so surely he could resort to a form of flirting that wouldn't reduce me to mush.

I was only three-hundred yards or so away when I heard him call out a sheepish, "Sorry!"

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><p>After a long wait but a relatively nice meal at River's Edge, Seth got the bill (even after I'd argued to go Dutch) and we headed out of the restaurant with no real plan of what to do next. The sky above us was overcast and the kind of grey that reminded me of industrial steel. In the end it was my idea to take a walk by the bank of the Quillayute River.<p>

"This is actually kinda pretty," I told him as I looked out over the delta.

"My dad used to take me rafting further upstream when I was a kid," Seth said softly.

The mouth of the river spat out several wooded chunks of land, all of which seemed to almost float in the water, before giving way to the choppy Pacific Ocean. I found myself imagining a tween version of Seth and his father bobbing alongside the islands in one of those bright dinghies I'd seen families buy at Walmart.

"When did you stop?" I asked.

"I was probably about twelve, and I went through a stage of thinking it was uncool to be seen around town with my parents. So I just told him I didn't want to hang out any more,"

I tried to tuck a loose wave of hair back inside my bun before saying, "I'm still going through that stage."

"I think most people still are, too," he said, offering me a small smile. "I really wish I'd known better, though."

Before I could ask what he meant, the sky seemed to open up and we were both drenched within five seconds. Swearing colourfully, Seth grabbed my hand and we made our way into a thicket of trees that lined the embankment.

The evergreens offered us a sufficient canopy and we looked at each other, mutually taking in the dripping hair and soaked clothes, and I started to laugh.

"You're going to be frozen in the next ten minutes," Seth said seriously.

"And so will everyone else in the immediate area - including you,"

Seth folded his arms across his chest, highlighting how broad and muscular his shoulders were in a way that made me want to never stop looking at him, and fixed me with an equally serious look. He said, "I'm not sure I'll like Popsicle Penny as much as the Penny in front of me, so let's head back to Bertha."

He looped his arm around my shoulders as we headed back to his truck and I let him because it was kind of nice - and he sheltered my back from the unrelenting downpour, which was a plus. Mostly it was wonderful just to have an excuse to pretty much sink into the side of Seth's body.

That night I lay wide awake in bed, trying to determine whether or not the contortions my stomach had displayed during the majority of our date were what my friends back in San Diego had referred to as "butterflies". Admittedly, I was leaning towards _yes_.

It was probably very naive of me to have grown to like Seth this much already but, somehow, I didn't care. He was actually smart and funny and - even though he was also just that little bit frustrating - I definitely wanted to see him again. Mom, of course, had been a little less enthusiastic about the subject since he'd dropped me back home earlier this afternoon.

Cocooning myself within the duvet and sheets, I tried in vain to stop thinking of him and how it had been my very first date and the fact that Seth had even let me choose a club sandwich for him and how strangely warm his hand had felt in mine.

And it was just about then that I heard the first howl.

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><p>AN: Just a little note to say that I'll be going to Morocco for a week on Friday, so it's unlikely that I'll be able to update North Star for some time until I'm back home. Please enjoy the next chapter, though, as I can promise that it'll be uploaded in a few days :) And - as always - don't forget to review!


	4. Too Close to Home

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight Saga, or any of its original characters.

A/N: Well, shit. I'm very sorry for the delayed update. Feel free to shoot me or whatever you feel is a good enough punishment for having neglected this story until I got back from my holiday. By the way, Morocco was lovely! :P But still, please remember to read and review...

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><p><strong>4: Too Close to Home<strong>

I woke with a start as the alarm on my phone buzzed relentlessly. Grumbling a handful of swearwords that would've turned my mother a whiter shade of pale, I turned the alarm off and flung myself out of bed with little grace. Finding some clean clothes, I decided to get ready to avoid being late to school.

Sleep hadn't been kind to me, considering I'd had to stay up until the early hours of the morning to finish off my essay about the civil war, and by the time I reached the breakfast table I was cranky as hell.

"Good morning," My mom chirped as I sat down across from Dad at the breakfast table. As per usual, he was reading the paper and paying little attention to anything around him. "We're all out of Lucky Charms, by the way."

This morning could not get any worse.

"Can't you run to the store?" I asked her, pushing back my chair to rummage through our refrigerator.

"Ordering your mother about is very rude," Mom said. "Why don't you go to store instead, Penny?"

I grabbed a carton of orange juice, shot her a glare and said, "I'll go without."

Returning to my usual seat with a glass tumbler in my hand, I noticed that Dad was muttering to himself. He looked up at us, a withered look on his tan face, and let out a deep sigh. "You know the diner on 101?"

Did he mean the one that Seth had originally planned to take me to?

"Well," he continued, "there's an article about the murder of its owners. Apparently Mr and Mrs Fox disappeared from there late on Saturday night, and their bodies were found nearby yesterday afternoon."

Mom looked absolutely terrified as she asked, "What exactly do you mean by _murder_, David?"

"The police think someone killed them - and quite brutally by the sounds of it. The wounds almost resemble an animal attack,"

I finished my drink and once again got up, not really enjoying the themes of this conversation. It was too close to home - too similar to what had happened to my brother back in California. Mom would start freaking out immediately, although it would only be a shadow of the panic we all felt when Adam had first disappeared. I really wasn't ready to deal with that again.

Not now, not ever.

"I've got to get to school," I told them and made my way out of the house as quickly as possible.

It was raining heavily and by the time I made it to first period, my jacket had soaked through to my t-shirt underneath and I was physically shaking. Whether it was from my father's reading of that freaky article, or the cold, I wasn't completely sure.

"What's with you?" Kate asked as I sat down next to her.

"Nothing," I muttered. "I'm just not a big fan of this crappy weather."

"Well, either you're incredibly cranky or it's your special time of the month,"

I considered telling Kate to shut up but I knew that she wasn't being unkind, just pointing out that I was a grouch when I didn't get enough sleep.

"I'm sorry," I offered, and took out my cell phone.

"As long as you're not still like this for calculus after lunch,"

The sight of two unread text messages from Seth was enough to brighten my mood, even if just a little. As I quickly read through them, Kate seemed to notice the slight smile on my face and immediately fished the cell from my grasp.

"Hey!" I yelped in indignation, trying in vain to get it back but she had already read his messages, too.

Kate turned to me and, with an oddly disapproving expression on her face, said, "Please don't tell me you're dating Carmen's ex-boyfriend, Penny."

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><p>The rest of the day was turbulent to say the least.<p>

Kate, being the Good Samaritan she sporadically was, had promised not to say anything until I'd asked Seth about his past relationship with Carmen. As I waited for the bell to announce the end of the school, I found myself biting my lip again and hating him even more because of it.

Part of me couldn't believe Seth had lied to me about how they'd known each other. Sure, I'd noticed in Port Angeles that Carmen obviously had the hots for him but Seth had told me that she'd dated one of his friends - not him - and I couldn't fathom why he would have said that. And, according to Kate and her numerous sources around town, whatever was between them hadn't exactly been over for long.

The truth was that I just didn't know what to think. Despite the fact that logically it wasn't that big of a deal, Seth had still lied about Carmen... So what else could he have lied to me about?

Finally the bell rang and I left the biology lab without even saying goodbye to Louise, who sat a few rows behind me and usually walked to her sister's car with me. The downpour had turned to a sticky layer of sleet and I tried my best to ignore it as I headed out to the parking lot.

I wasn't even at the door of my old Ford when my tote bag began to vibrate. It took me a long, painfully embarrassing moment to realize that it was just my cell phone and I blushed furiously as a handful of freshmen snickered.

"Hello," I answered without bothering to check the caller ID.

"Hey there," Seth replied breathlessly on the other end. "How are you?"

"I'm just... Seth, I don't see why... I'm just pretty damn confused if you want the honest truth."

Oh God. This conversation was already going terribly on my behalf. Why on earth was I letting myself get so worked up?

"Why? What's wrong, Penny?"

I slid into the driver's seat of my car to get a little more privacy from the perpetually prying eyes of my fellow highschoolers. I said, with new-found gumption, "You never told me that you and Carmen were on-and-off. Why did you lie?"

The fact that I could hear him sigh on the other end didn't make me feel any better.

"We hooked up a few times - but that was a while ago, you've got to believe me," Seth eventually said, his deep voice uneven. "It was just a summer fling."

I fixed my free hand on the steering wheel and squeezed until my knuckles turned white. I wanted to believe him - I really, _really_ did. But I was completely torn. I trusted Kate as probably my closest friend here, and she was likely to know a lot more truthful gossip than I was... But then who was to say he wasn't being honest now?

"So why should I believe you, Seth?"

"Penny, I promise you that it's over between me and Carmen. OK?"

Without saying another word, I hung up and started the car. My phone seemed to almost burn a hole into the upholstery of the passenger seat and I found myself glancing at it numerous times as I drove across town, lamely hoping that he'd call back.

But Seth didn't, and the seeds of doubt that my mother had sown only a few days ago had now grown into over-sized vines that wrapped around every thought I had of him and seemed to suffocate the very idea of dating him.

When I arrived home Mom and Dad were both out at work still, so I parked on the driveway for once and headed straight up to my bedroom. The creaking staircase didn't even annoy me like it usually did as I ascended. I was way too preoccupied with being annoyed at myself for liking him so much so soon.

Once inside my room, I couldn't find anything to do that would take my mind off of him.

Even attempting to re-read East of Eden for probably the fourteenth time didn't work and I left Adam's copy on my bedside table without a second thought. My mind was simply plagued with images of Seth probably taking Carmen to River's Edge for a cosy date like he had taken me, too. Knowing Carmen's grudging appetite for style over substance, though, it had most likely been a five star restaurant in Seattle or somewhere similar.

And I'll bet she hadn't argued to pay for her own dinner.

_Jesus Christ,_ I thought to myself. _You're experiencing jealousy._

Having never really dated at all before I tried to remind myself for the hundredth time that I barely knew Seth. Did I even have a right to feel jealous?

Eventually I decided to go downstairs to get a drink. Flicking the kitchen light on, I instantly saw that Mom had gone to the grocery store and that there was a fresh box of Lucky Charms cereal sitting on the counter. Despite myself, I smiled and went to get another glass of orange juice. I made a mental note to thank her later on.

As I put the carton away, I saw that the broadsheet Dad had been reading this morning was still open on the tabletop. The article about the diner owners was almost staring at me through the dim lighting, and once again I felt a wave of anxiety rush through me.

Looking up from the newspaper, I saw something move on the back porch out of the corner of my eye and all of a sudden there was a tall, dark silhouette standing by the back door.

The glass dropped from my hands and shattered immediately on the linoleum floor as I tried to stifle a scream.


	5. Unintended Wounds

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight Saga, or any of its original characters.

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><p><strong>5: Unintended Wounds<strong>

It was fair to say that the stifling didn't really work so well, and I actually had to clamp a hand over my mouth to keep quiet. Fear overwhelmed me as I looked around for some sort of sharp object that I could protect myself with.

I was in a kitchen yet there were no knives in sight when I really needed one. How fucking convenient.

The door handle twisted and I scrambled backwards so fast that I pretty much tripped over my own feet, landing hard on my ass and catching my palm on a fragment of sharp glass. Ignoring the sharp pain that shot through my left hand, I moved as far away from the door as possible until my back hit one of the cupboards. The figure moved into the doorway and I heard myself scream again.

Then the intruder pulled his dark hood down and I was met with a pair of familiar brown eyes, which were as round and concerned as I'd ever seen them.

"Penny," Seth said softly. "Calm down!"

Within a second he was by my side, kneeling down on the cold floor next to me. I stared at him for one long moment and then suddenly my bleeding hand was smacking his face, leaving a smear of blood on Seth's cheek.

"Please calm down," he repeated.

I felt my face contort into a scowl as I said, "What the hell do you think you're doing here? I thought you were God damn burglar or serial killer or something!"

"I was just coming over to apologize and to... I don't know, I guess I just wanted to explain myself,"

"Then explain why you were sneaking around my porch, Seth!" I shouted, pushing away from him and ultimately cutting myself on more broken glass.

Stupid glass. Stupid Seth.

My swearing didn't even seem to faze him. Seth just knelt there, gazing at me with that same intense and concerned look on his face. I was struck again by how good looking he was - even streaked with my blood.

"Here," he murmured and lifted me to my feet with ease. There was a fresh cut just below my right elbow, a shard of the tumbler sticking out of it at an obnoxious angle. "I really didn't mean to scare you, Penny. I'm so sorry..."

I shrugged off his warm arm from around my waist and went to the sink, wincing ever so slightly as I cleaned my unintended wounds.

"Get out my house," I told him in a cold voice that I barely recognized as my own.

"I'm here to apologize-" Seth was cut off when I swore again. The glass was _not_ coming out easily.

He continued a moment later. "I tried knocking on your front door but there was no reply. I checked the back to see if you were actually at home, and then all of a sudden I heard a smash and you were screaming! I had to see that you were alright,"

"Well," I retorted. "I'm completely fine, Seth."

"You don't seem completely fine,"

I glared at him. "I have a sharp piece of glass in my hand. Seth, do you really want to piss me off even more?"

"Where's your first aid kit?" He asked and I heard him begin to check through the cupboards. I sighed and, with my left hand still under the pulse of water from the faucet, plucked the medic box out from underneath the sink.

Before I knew it we were sitting at the breakfast table and Seth was adjusting my bandages. His gentleness was somewhat striking but considering he was the type of guy that named pick-up trucks as if they were elderly women, I wasn't entirely surprised.

He finished tying the last knot around the deeper of the two cuts, however Seth didn't move his hand away for a moment longer. His lingering touch made goosebumps appear on my skin.

I wanted to kiss him so bad in that moment.

I met his eyes with indecision, my stomaching knotting for multiple reasons. "A band-aid would've been fine, you know."

"Penny... Can I explain now?" Seth questioned, his voice small and cautious.

"I guess you might as well,"

Seth's dark eyes flashed to the broken glass and then back to me. He said, "Carmen and I met about a year ago at a party. The age gap didn't seem to matter much to her so we hooked up. It was just a handful of times; things between us were over before it really started. We're just friends now, Penny. I swear to you that there's nothing going on any more,"

"Then why did you tell me that she dated your friend instead? Why not just say all that in the first place?"

"Because the moment I saw you, Penny, it was different. I didn't want this to be like it had been with Carmen and I didn't want you to associate me with any form of douchbaggery,"

"What do you mean by different?"

Seth let out a deep breath and got to his feet, and it was then that I realized my blood was still on his face. I could barely believe that I had actually slapped him. I didn't even know whether it had been out of fear or spite. As I watched, Seth began to collect the pieces of glass with the small dustpan and brush that we kept by the back door.

"I'm sorry I slapped you," I finally told him.

He glanced up at me and offered his boyish grin as a response. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth."

"It's really fine. I guess I just don't have much experience with this kind of stuff,"

"Don't you?" I couldn't help but look at him then. He sounded so surprised.

A moment later he caught on that I was still staring at him, and I found myself blushing furiously as I looked away. But instead of attempting to retain a cool and collected attitude, I noticed Dad's paper again and an image of Adam rushed to mind. It was him as he had been at the start of summer, tanned and cocky and muttering something about his girlfriend as he headed out for the last time.

I could remember exactly what he looked like... But it was then that I realised I couldn't remember the sound of his voice.

How could I forgot something like that?

Seth stood up slowly. "Are you - you're not crying because of me, right?"

In one motion he was striding towards me, dust pan and brush forgotten on the linoleum, and that weird look was back on his face.

Before he could reach me though, I heard the sound of Mom's car come up the driveway behind my Ford and I told Seth in a hoarse voice that it was best if he left for now. The memory of my brother receded to the dark place where I kept all thoughts of him in the back of my mind, locked safely away.

"I guess your dad does have a shotgun then?" He joked as I followed him to the back door, wiping angrily at my eyes.

"It's very possible," I replied and he grinned at me one last time before heading out across the porch. I hadn't heard the key turn in the front door yet so, as a second thought, I called out after him. "Seth, did you know that the owners of that diner were murdered?"

Seth merely paused in step and copied me by saying, "It's very possible."

"Penelope?" I heard Mom call as she came into the house - just as Seth had safely disappeared around the side of the house - and I quickly shut the back door before she made her way into the kitchen. She froze, taking in the small gathering of broken glass and my excessive bandages. "Are you going to tell me what on earth has happened?"

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><p>Thankfully Kate didn't ask about my cut-up hand when I met her after the following school day at Starbucks. The closest franchise was in Port Angeles, and it was a much anticipated meeting because we hadn't had a chance to discuss the matter of Seth Clearwater and Carmen Arana and Penelope Lambert.<p>

I was just hoping so bad that she'd be able to confirm what he'd already told me.

"Well," Kate began as she set down two frappuccinos in the booth I'd grabbed for us, "They officially ended the booty calls in August, I think. If he says that they're just friends, then Seth obviously doesn't realize that Carmen still has big plans for him."

"So... when did they meet?"

Kate considered this for a moment. "Carmen's cousin introduced them at a senior's Christmas party last year, I think."

_Well, that seemed to fit Seth's rendition_, I thought to myself. I felt a small smile play at the corners of my lips/

"Do you know how long they were together for?"

"If I remember correctly, it was an on-and-off thing since about May," Kate said. "Probably a total of about three or four months."

I said, "I can't help liking him, Kate. It's weird. I've known him about a week and I just can't stop thinking about him. It's crazy!"

"I understand," she told me with a smile. "He's still a douchebag for lying, though."

"But they only went out? What's so ridiculous about that?"

Kate also considered this and said, "Carmen will make your life hell, Penny. You know that, right?"

"What am I supposed to do?"

Kate added a few sachets of sugar to her drink, and proceeded to eye up a couple of guys that were waiting in the queue to order as if they were the most interesting specimens of the male species she'd ever seen. Either that or there was also the unlikely possibility that she was checking out the asses of their various girlfriends. She eventually said, "Liking him isn't exactly a crime, I guess? I mean, he's hot enough to model for Abercrombie, Penny, so I really don't blame you. I just hope he likes you as much as he seems to."

I felt my shoulders sag as I tried to make sense of yesterday afternoon. Should I tell Kate about him coming to apologize? I decided against it because I was still confused about what had actually happened, and I was sure that it was best to keep up the lie I'd told my mom. Besides, I had already stated that most of what he had told me had taken place during the conversation we'd had on the phone.

"I've already promised you that I won't go blabbing about you two for now," Kate continued. "So as far as Carmen's concerned, I know nothing."

I took a long gulp of my drink and wondered how the hell I could compete with a girl like Carmen if she was still interested, with her perfect blonde curls and a questionable yet unfailing tan. It was like she was _Malibu Barbie_ and I was _Strawberry Shortcake_ in comparison.

"You don't have to lie for me," Kate began to laugh as soon as I said it, and I found myself frowning. "What?"

"Oh, lets be real here. I most definitely do!"

"It's just a few dates!" I quickly said, almost spilling my coffee over her.

Kate grinned at me, flicking a stand of dark hair over her shoulder. "Just see how it goes with him, Penny. You can always end if it turns out there is something to end, can't you?"

"But, Kate, you freaked when you found out I'd been on a date with him!"

"Well, of course," she said. "Those texts totally made it seem like you were already hooking up!"

Kate sighed and continued to say, "You can't blame me for freaking out! I've known the Arana family since before I can remember and, sure, Carmen and I have always been friends. But you're my friend, too, Penny. I can't have a cat fight on my hands, you know?"

"Especially over a boy," I muttered under my breath.

"Exactly," she stated. "As I said before - just see how it goes with him, OK? It's not like tons of people find their soul-mates at sixteen anyway."

I blushed furiously and turned my attention to the pale leather seats of the booth.

Kate, as per usual taking up the voice of reason, was probably right. But a secret, hopelessly naive part of me kind of hoped she was wrong - even if Seth had slept with Carmen.

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><p>AN: I do realize it's taken me forever to update once again, and I'm really sorry... again! But hey, at least you've had a small taste of foreboding now? Please review and favourite and all that jazz :) I'll try and update soon - I promise!


	6. Double Trouble

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight Saga, or any of its original characters.

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><p><strong>6: Double Trouble<strong>

It was only two days before Thanksgivings and I was engrossed in the latest series of House when Mom announced that we were going to be spending the holiday with some old friends of hers. Dad and I, to say the least, were apprehensive.

"Isn't it a little late to plan a dinner party now, Valerie?" Dad asked carefully, trying his best not to wake the dragon that was once his college sweetheart.

Mom waved this comment off lightly and said, "The Casey's invited us over to their lake house! Besides, I haven't seen Lorraine and Julian since I was in high school! It'll be great to catch up, don't you think?"

I glanced between them and then back at the TV, hoping not to get dragged into the discussion.

"I've never even heard you mention them before," Dad stated, pushing the rim of his glasses up a little. "Besides, it would be unfair on Penny to have to sit there while we... _socialize._"

Under different circumstances, I would've laughed at my father's uneasy use of the word. But it was almost as if that jerk had read my mind and decided, _Hey? Let's drag Penny in anyway because it will probably be funny and draw attention away from my lacking social skills!_

I obviously glared at him as Mom began babbling again.

"Oh, Penny will have a whale of a time with their kids!" I groaned inwardly as Mom turned to me and said, "I think their oldest, Charlie, is around your age! I'm sure you'll both have a lot in common."

I reluctantly muted the television. "I'm not sitting at the kid's table, Mom. It's not like I'm eleven still."

"I don't even see why we have to go," Dad added.

"Mom, we've never even met the Casey family before,"

She cleared her throat and closed the book she'd been reading. The first thought that came to mind was_ Shit _because these two relatively innocent actions told us that Valerie Lambert meant business. "I'm sick of us not acting like an actual family! It's Thanksgiving for God's sakes! We're going, and that's final."

Her words stung but I, at least, knew that Mom was right. This was our first Thanksgiving since Adam passed way and there would be many more to come, so why get into the habit of sulking around the house whenever a holiday arose? But still, I couldn't help but miss him even more at that moment because, in all honesty, a large part of me actually wanted to spend Thanksgiving sulking around the house.

Heck, who would've ever thought I could be such an Emo?

Suddenly the couch pillow beneath me began to vibrate, and I practically hit the ceiling.

Mom shot me a look that seemed to say _Really, you're living in the twenty-first century and you still can't work out when your cell phone is ringing? Honestly! What kind of daughter did I raise?_

Running for my bedroom, I clicked the answer button without checking the caller ID. It was sort of habitual.

"It's started to snow," Seth told me straight away and I paused on the staircase to glance down through the window panels of our front door. He was right, and the sight of a fresh blanket of white covering our front yard was enough to make my breath catch.

Having lived on the border of Mexico since birth, I had never actually seen snow aside from on sitcoms and posters.

I was startled, and a little in awe. "It never snowed in Southern California. Whoa."

"Whoa, indeed," Seth replied.

Since the incident in my kitchen last week, we had been on reasonably good terms again - although it's not like you would've caught me telling my friends that he and I were dating. Which, in case you were wondering, we technically weren't... yet.

"How would you feel about going bowling with me?" Seth continued as I shut my bedroom door behind me.

"I've never actually been bowling before,"

I could almost hear that boyish grin of his through the receiver of my cell phone. "That settles it then, Penny. You, me and Sunset Lanes. Is tomorrow good for you?"

"I usually hang out with Kate on Sundays. It's the only day that she doesn't work," I told him.

Seth considered this for a moment and said, "She could tag along, you know? I have a friend that just might like some female company."

"Like a double date?" I said slowly. I had no idea if Kate would even go for it, considering that she was the type of girl that seemed to prefer boys as eye candy rather than arm candy. In fact, when I thought about it I had only ever heard her talk about _ex_-boyfriends.

"Precisely," Seth replied. "We'll meet you there at noon!"

And with that he said goodbye and hung up, claiming he had some stuff to do before work. It only occurred to me then that I had no idea what Seth even worked as and I made a mental note to find out during our... during our double date.

Oh, God. Kate was going to kill me with her perfectly-manicured bare hands and my blood was going to be splattered all over the pretty snow.

I went over to my laptop and left her a vague Facebook message, informing Kate of our upcoming bowling session. She replied almost immediately, despite the fact that she registered as offline, and it was fair to say that the lettering of her response was completely in capitals and consisted of _many_ swear words.

Yep. I was definitely going to die before I'd even have to face a Thanksgiving dinner with a bunch of absolute strangers. Which, in some ways, wasn't necessarily terrible.

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><p>At around twelve-thirty the next day Kate pulled up into the parking lot outside a parade of outlet stores, a Chinese takeout and, of course, a seedy-looking arcade called Sunset Lanes. The paint had long since peeled on the outside of the building and as the snow continued to fall, it made the place look almost entirely abandoned. But then I spotted the two extremely tall Native American guys standing right by the front doors.<p>

Admittedly, my heart still kind of skipped a beat at the sight of Seth Clearwater.

"I can't believe you're actually putting me through this," Kate said through gritted teeth.

"Don't be a drama queen," I told her, and flung open the passenger door of her old and rusting Mustang.

Kate snorted as we got out. "You're one to talk, Penny."

The snow was horrific under foot and took me a few tries to achieve any real balance. Kate murmured to me to watch out for black ice (whatever that was) so I attempted to take my time and not seem like a complete retard. As we made our way across the parking lot, I could only imagine the devastatingly sexy effect that my slow and staggering walk emitted.

"Hey there," Seth said, his face erupting into a large grin as we finally met them at the entrance of the bowling alley. "What took you guys so long?"

"You should have gathered by now that I'm not the best when it comes to time keeping," I told him.

Seth laughed and I laughed and for a moment I actually forgot that Kate was with me. Then she cleared her throat and I gestured for Seth to introduce his friend to her, who had been leaning against the dirty exterior of Sunset Lanes with a smirk on his face until now.

"Oh, right," Seth began and, taking Kate by the arm, marched her over to his companion. "Kate McMillan, this is my best friend and you're wonderful date for today: the one and only Brady Fuller!"

Brady tipped his head towards her and said, "I'm totes amped to meet you, Miss McMillan."

Instead of responding to his very cute but cryptic greeting, Kate simply turned back to me and pulled a face. I mouthed a quick _Be nice_ to her and made my way inside the cinder block building because the snow was starting to get heavier.

Seth followed me almost immediately, with a bemused Brady at his heels and his "date" a little further behind.

"You've really never been bowling?" Seth asked as we made our way up to the counter.

"There's a lot more to do in San Diego than there is around here," I replied.

"Well," he continued. "At least my victory on the lanes seems imminent now."

Like the childish dork I was, I stuck my tongue out at Seth and insisted on paying for myself this time. After the manager passed me a small pair of sweaty bowling shoes, I followed a still smirking Brady to the lane that Seth had reserved last night for the four of us.

"So," he started conversationally. "You're the killer beach bunny that the Little Kahuna hasn't stopped yapping about."

I gathered from the tone of his voice that it was a statement rather than a question; however I still ended up biting down on my lip because I wasn't exactly fluent in whatever language he was talking. What was it with these guys? "What did... I don't... It's nice to meet you, too, Brady."

Brady automatically laughed and lazily slung an arm around my shoulder as a hidden machine began to set up our pins. "You've really got him cooking on cloud nine, brah! It's totally nectar, so mahalo."

"Don't tease her with your surfer lingo," Seth stated, slapping Brady upside the head as he came to face us. He turned to me and said, "The manager's finding a beginner's ramp for you, Penny - just so you can believe that you have a chance of beating me."

"Have I ever told you that you're kinda cocky?" I questioned, and glared at him.

"Dude, where's the stellar nugget you allocated me wandered off to?" Brady asked.

I looked around the arcade and quickly realized that Kate was still trying to make the transfer between her boots and the bowling shoes. Smacking myself mentally, I offered the boys a sheepish smile and jogged over to meet her.

"He's a nice guy-" I began but Kate instantly cut me off.

"I can't believe you set me up with one of those Cliff Clones, Penny!" She hissed at me as she pretended to fiddle with the Velcro strap.

"Actually," I began timidly, "I think Brady's a surfer, which doesn't really have anything to with cliffs-"

Kate made a noise of disgust and said, "I can't understand a freaking word he's saying!"

"Neither can I," I admitted.

"These shoes are positively disgusting, by the way,"

"Stop being a buzz kill," I told her as she finally managed to fix the strap. I took Kate by the hand and dragged her over to our lane, eager to find out how bowling actually worked. And to at least try to bring Seth down off of his high horse.

Once Brady had logged our initials into an interactive scoreboard and provisional snacks were ordered, Seth set up the ramp for me and I quickly realized that I was terrible at bowling. Like the type of terrible that deserves to sit by the sidelines while her companions play because she's just _that_ bad.

So, for the most part, that's what I did.

In between Brady's constant attempts at awkwardly flirting with Kate, who was completely uninterested for some reason, and my feeble attempts at trying to get a score that consisted of more than one digit, Seth ended up with his arm slung around my shoulder.

"Brady's so cute when he tries to make friends," he murmured, gripping me slightly closer.

I tried in vain not to smile. "How long have you two known each other then?"

Seth thought about this for a minute and said, "Since before I can remember. His family lives down the street from me but we weren't particularly close till he started ninth grade. He was always that kid who did stuff, but never hung around with others kid who did the same kinda stuff, you know?"

"So where did he pick up the crazy lingo then?"

"Well, he met a group of surfers down in Ocean Shores a couple of years ago and they suckered him into it,"

I tried to inconspicuously snuggle as close to Seth as I could before it was my turn again. Jeez, I was weak when it came to good looking specimens of the male species. I said, "And are you a surfer?"

"No," Seth said matter-of-factly, as if the very idea of him riding one of those big blue waves that you see in the movies were preposterous and completely deserving of ridicule. "I'm a _real _athlete,"

This also seemed sort of preposterous.

"No, really," he continued as I tried not to laugh at the indignant expression on his face. "I turned down a baseball scholarship when I was seventeen."

"Why on earth did you do that?"

Seth shrugged as Kate's pins were cleared away once she'd scored a Split. "My sister had just moved to Seattle for a photography internship, and I didn't want to leave my mom on her own."

I couldn't believe that he'd turned down college to stay in a place like Clallam County; however I suppose not everyone likes the idea of higher education. Besides, it was kind of cute that he cared about his family that much.

"It's nice that your close to your family like that. What about your dad though?"

Seth looked away. "My dad passed away about five years ago."

I felt a pang in my chest and with a deep breath I took his hand in mine, "My brother was killed a few months ago."

Our eyes met and understanding seemed to flood between us, and I didn't want to ever look away from him.

"It's your go," Kate said, shooting me a death glare as she came to sit back down that pulled Seth and I apart.

Brady beamed at her from across the seating area. "That was totes gnarly, wahine!"

Kate turned away from him, uninterested. I glowered, trying to get her to make eye contact so that I could offer some sort of reprimanding look, and then suddenly Kate's face paled. I followed the line of her gaze as I got up to retrieve up the ball I'd been using for the past forty minutes.

That's when I saw Carmen Arana, walking in with Megan and another popular girl from school that I'd never had the privilege to have been introduced to. The loud click-clack of their expensive heels on the polished floor was almost too loud to bear.

"So do you want me to show you how to get a real score?" I heard Seth murmur right by my ear.

I was paying more attention to the fact that our friends from school had turned up at Sunset Lanes than what Seth was doing, and when I felt his arm snake round my waist as well as his warm breath in my ear, I practically jumped out of my own skin.

The bowling ball landed with an obnoxious thud on my left foot, and a string of swear words found their way out of my mouth in less than a second flat.

"Penny!" Seth exclaimed, trying to help me regain my balance. "Shit. I am _so_ sor-"

"Bummer," Brady laughed as I involuntarily found myself slapping Seth again.

My big toe was pretty much screaming out at me in pain as he helped me back over to the seats, ignoring my cursing and the red mark that had appear across his cheek. At least this time it as better than my blood.

"Why do you feel the need to slap me every time you hurt yourself?" Seth asked.

Brady, being as unhelpful as ever, was still laughing. He said, "Your beach bunny's a biter, dude. It's totes kinky."

It's fair to say that we both shot him a look that said _I'm going to kill you when you least expect it_. But by this time, of course, Carmen had spotted our little congregation and was heading towards us.

Glancing over at Kate, I saw that she looked less fazed by the trio's arrival than beforehand and I couldn't help but wonder what on earth had been wrong before. Carmen and Kate were friends, so why the hell had she looked genuinely scared to see her at first? Kate didn't do _scared_.

"Well," said an icy yet familiar voice. "Isn't this the cutest thing!"

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><p>AN: Yeah... sorry for the long interval between updates. I've been meaning to get around to this for a while but I have been really busy recently. Anyway, please enjoy and review, etc... I will try to get the next chapter up before the end of this month! So tell me guys, how much do you love Brady?


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